The present invention disclosed herein relates to a tunable laser module, and more particularly, to a tunable laser module including a Vertical-Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) array.
An optical transmission method such as wavelength division multiplexing is being used for optical communication for processing massive data at high speed, and its importance is more and more stressed. For the wavelength division multiplexing method, it is required to develop a tunable light source for processing massive data at high speed. As the tunable light source, the VCSEL array may be used. A tunable VCSEL light source may replace a light source of a plurality of VCSEL arrays each of which emits a different wavelength for transferring massive data at high speed using signals of various wavelengths having a constant wavelength interval. Since a tunable VCSEL light source also consumes low power, it may be used as an energy-saving optical communication device which has recently received attention.
According to a fabricating method of a typical tunable VCSEL, the wavelength may be varied by controlling temperature or by adjusting a resonance distance. According to the method by controlling temperature, if excessive temperature is applied to the VCSEL, performance of the device may be degraded causing low output power of the light source and it is difficult to embody a tunable laser source having both characteristics of wide range of wavelength tuning and fine wavelength tuning with high output power of more than 10 Gbps and low power consumption.